A U.S. Navy SEAL was killed early Sunday in the rescue of an American doctor who was kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan, defense officials tell NBC News.

The Navy SEAL was wounded in the rescue operation and later died, according to a senior defense official.

The death was announced in a brief statement from the public affairs department of the US troops in Afghanistan.

According to the website http://icasualties.org/, which tracks coalition casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq, so far 390 NATO soldiers, including 301 US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this year.

Since the beginning of 2001, at least 2,165 American soldiers have lost their lives in the country.